04 January 2012

outdoor winter party

Earlier this winter, my big girl set up an outdoor party on a sunny and mild afternoon.  Setting up parties is her norm and I figured this would be another little party with the dollies.  When we were all invited to venture outside to attend the party she planned, I was overcome with an intense mixture of sadness and sweet joy.  The sadness was over the blooms I had nurtured all year that had been plucked as party food.  The beautiful magenta  bouganvilla flowers were floating in bowls of water with all my lush basil leaves. 
Both plants were completely bare of any leaves or blooms.  

But when I saw the sweet little celebration that my girl thoughtfully planned I quickly forgot about my precious plants and instead was drawn to the precious work she'd done.
She happily served an eager sister ,cousin and a doting great-grandmother too.  The aunts and uncles served themselves buffet-style per the request of the little party planner.

The bird dish was used for crayons and the dog dish was a serving bowl.

When I saw the heaps of beautiful blooms on our yellow outdoor plates, I couldn't help but see that my girl has an appreciation for the beautiful colors of the outdoors.  So beautifully mixed, the colors made for a beautiful end of fall celebration.  
{It did help knowing that our first freeze was just around the corner and I knew all these plants would die then.  Had it been mid-summer, I may have had a slightly different reaction to this little celebration!}


01 January 2012

Happiest New Year Wishes!

calligraphy by Arno Kath

Wishing you all the best this year!

Holiday Happiness


snow forts, riding in a wagon just perfect for two, having a sweet sister to explore with, meeting Santa and one of his reindeer

sledding on Christmas day, snowballs, snowmen, snow-angels, snow tea-parties, being with your family
hand-written notes for Santa, reading stories by the fire, playing with a new toy you never knew you wanted, little treats left for Santa, excitement, being with sweet family, the quiet night and those bright stars

advent: day 24

SNOW!  What a wonderful gift for a curious little one at Christmastime!

22 December 2011

advent: day 23

Let me sneak just a little peek...
This one is so incredibly curious.  I know she is peeking ever-so-sneakily here and there.

advent: day 22

There is nothing like hand-made elf booties to keep your feet warm on a cold day.

21 December 2011

advent: day 21

Today, we baked and enjoyed some special treats from our dear neighbors.  I love the tradition of baking for the neighbors for the holidays.
(The above photos are of the cookies my neighbor baked.  She made 6 different kinds from all over the world!  What a treat!)